National News

Demand for luxury homes slowed in 2017

The demand for luxury homes slowed nationally in 2017, a new report from realtor.com shows. While sales in the upper tier remain strong, activity in the overall housing market exceeded the pace of luxury home sales across the country.

Virtual reality revolutionizing real estate for homebuyers

Virtual reality is the next revolutionary topic for 2018 in the world of real estate, Coldwell Banker found in a recent survey of 3,000 homebuyers. The new survey, conducted by Harris Poll, showed the desire for VR home tours,

How buyers are financing their homes

Across the country, both home prices and demand for homes grew in 2017, driven by low inventory. As supply and affordability can be a hurdle for some homebuyers, many are still optimistic about their ability to receive financing even

Fannie Mae: Buyer confidence falls at the close of 2017

The number of Americans who feel confident enough to buy or sell fell significantly in December 2017, undoing the previous month’s increase in confidence. According to Fannie Mae’s monthly Home Purchase Sentiment Index, which surveys 1,000 consumers about a

Credit scores decreasing for millennial homebuyers

Credit scores among millennial homebuyers declined slightly from November 2016 to November 2017, according to Ellie Mae’s most recent Millennial Tracker report. The decrease in average credit scores of closed loans to millennials was most apparent for FHA and VA loans.

NAR reveals Realtor confidence in the 2018 housing market

The Realtors Confidence Index from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) shows that Realtors are confident about what’s to come in the first half of 2018. On a scale of 1 to 100, the report measures NAR members’ housing

Consumer bureau rolls back expected HMDA regulations for 2018

Mortgage lenders who were concerned about increased regulation and compliance in 2018 with the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act no longer need to worry. Under the new rules announced in 2015, lenders would have needed to provide significantly more information

The number of renting households declined for the first time in 14 years

While the number of renters now outpaces homeowners — with about one-third of the country’s population living in rentals — 2017 saw the first year of a slight decline in renting households since 2004, according to a recent report from

Home prices projected to increase 4.2 percent by November 2018

Home prices are up both year-over-year and month-over-month, according to CoreLogic’s Home Price Index (HPI) and HPI Forecast for November 2017. From November 2016 to November 2017, U.S. home prices increased 7 percent year over year. Month-over-month, home prices

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FHFA looks to update credit scoring, mortgage financing in 2018

The Federal Housing Finance Agency will be making changes as outlined in its 2018 Scorecard, which was released late last month. The scorecard highlights specific conservatorship priorities for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and Common Securitization Solutions (CSS). The three main

NAR: Millennials, silent generation desire walkable communities

While millennials are seen as the driving force behind the new trend in walkable communities, older generations also prefer to live in neighborhoods where they can easily get around on foot. According to the 2017 National Community and Transportation

Guaranteed Rate introduces new jumbo loan program

On Dec. 27, Guaranteed Rate announced a new jumbo loan program that does not require mortgage insurance and accepts as little as a 10 percent down payment option for loans up to $3 million. The program, GR Flex Power, includes

Pending home sales inch up slightly in November

Pending home sales saw small gains in November while existing home sales and price growth are expected to slow heading into 2018, according to the National Association of Realtors. The Pending Home Sales Index rose from 109.3 in October

Floral is in, bar carts are out in Zillow’s home trends predictions for 2018

The new year is just around the corner, and if you’ve resolved to make your living space come alive with color and unique accents alike, a new forecast can help you choose your new decor. Zillow recently released its Home

What salary affords you a home in the Boston area?

Housing affordability remains a growing problem across the country, according to a new study by mortgage resource HSH.com, which examined the 50 largest metro areas in the United States to determine the salary residents must earn to afford an

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Congressional Republicans pass sweeping tax bill

After being approved by the House of Representatives and Senate on Dec. 20 after months of deliberations and negotiations, the Republicans’ so-called Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is set to land on President Donald J. Trump’s desk for final

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